


Case Notes

by e_frye



Series: Blue Muse [7]
Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Adventure, Causing History, F/M, Historical, Hounds of Baskerville, Mystery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-06
Updated: 2013-11-03
Packaged: 2017-12-28 15:03:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/993319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/e_frye/pseuds/e_frye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes Lee Williams caused History to happen by accident, other times History came to her for influence. </p><p>But either way she knew she had one job in 1880's Edinburgh... inspire Arthur Conan Doyle to write about a certain detective.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

_Prologue_

_Sydney, Australia 2083_

_Aged 23_

_The recently discovered journals of the late Sir Arthur Conan Doyle will be placed up at auction next Tuesday now that the two hundred year old folios have been verified. Historians add that the three journals are in remarkable condition considering their age and having been discovered last year in a church basement outside of Edinburgh. Originally their authenticity was questioned when the journals brought to light revelations about one the inspiration for some of Sir Conan Doyle’s most infamous characters. The journals reveal in detail both Conan Doyle and known Holmes muse Doctor Joseph Black’s brief encounters with a young opera singer names Adele Reiner. Up to now there has been no historical account of Reiner, however searching through the Royal Operas records has reviled that she did perform with the company four different times in the 1880’s._

_While Ms. Reiner was no doubt the inspiration for her fictional counterpoint Irene Adler, it is also noted that she appears to have many similar characteristics to his famous sleuth, Sherlock Holmes. In fact Doyle lists her residence as 221B St. Mary’s Street, Edinburgh and remarks on her intelligence. While we will never know for certain, Doyle’s own words describe his deep adoration for Ms. Reiner, as well as a sketch of her, done in the writers own hand._

The young girls all crowded around the screen backstage in the Sydney Opera House. Lee stood in the back, pinning up her hair as she looked over the other girl’s shoulders at the broadcast. The pictures were being shown on screen, of museum curators handling the journals with gloved hands, cutting to shots of scribbling handwriting, and then the sketch of the woman, Adele Reiner.

 “You know Donna,” One of the chorus girls said, turning to look at her as the lights began to dim. “She looks an awful lot like you.”

Lee gave a small noncommittal laugh and looked at the sketch shown on screen. Sometimes she stumbled her way into the history books, and sometimes history came out and called out to her. Lee looked at the sketch of herself. Her curled hair failing out of an up do, the glimpse of a bare shoulder. She smiled for a moment, wildly dreaming of what her next adventure would be.  The backstage lights dimmed once more and Lee rushed to take her place in the wings, knowing exactly where she would be going next.


	2. Chapter 1

_Edinburg, Scotland 1882_

It was easy to acquire the correct lodging and get herself situated in the time period. The Nineteenth century was an easy time in history to simply fall into a different character. There were not computer files or Google to suggest that Adele Reiner did not exist. It was an era which she enjoyed going to in various occasions. For now at least, the past was far more interesting to explore than earths future.

But now Lee found herself walking up and down the streets, wondering how she would stumble into Arthur Conan Doyle. It was a pity that this was still an era in which she could simply begin a conversation with a man at their place of work. _Then again_ , she thought standing up a bit taller, _I am supposed to be in the inspiration for the woman_. But Lee caught her reflection in dirty window, and upon staring at the illusion of power she shrank back down, not feeling comfortable wearing such a façade.

As she turned her glance back to the street, she took notice of a large clock above a bank at the end of the street. It was nearing dusk, and remembering that her apartment only had a perilous looking stove she decided to duck into the nearest pub for a meal.

“Looking for lodging miss?” The clipped accent of the balding middle aged barkeeper greeted her as soon as she crossed the threshold of The Cheap Blessing an establishment which had only been two streets over from her previous location.

Lee walked up to him, her long skirts trailing behind her as she stood at the counter. “No.” She replied surprisingly finding herself falling into the character of a more confident woman than she felt. “I am looking for a meal though, Mr…” She added in a husky tone.

“Lynch, Nathaniel Lynch. And five pence will get you some stew and a pint?” She would tell from his squinting eyes that Mr. Lynch was trying to figure out the sort of woman she was. Lee rummaged in her pockets and placed a coin down on the bar. Nathaniel took it quickly, pocketing it and pouring her a glass. “Accents a bit off, where ya from?”

“America.” She replied taking a long swig of the ale, and not grimacing even though it was rather rough and placing it back down on the bar. “Do you have an evening paper I can look at?”

“No, seems our boys a bit late. But there must be a morning paper somewhere around here.” Lee turned around looking at the other patrons in the bar. A few younger men near the fire place were eyeing her for the wrong reasons, an elderly man by the corner with a large book in his hands, and some out of place society boys at a far table.  “I’ll look for one. Beef all right?”

“Huh.” Lee blinked, and turned to look at Mr. Lynch her mouth agape. “Oh yes it is.” She muttered coming back to the moment. As he turned to enter the shabby kitchen she took a hold of her mug of ale and began to walk towards the older man with his book. She gave a cautionary glace at the youths by the fire as she sat down at the table adjacent to the man. He looked up giving her a brief smile before turning back to his read. “Mind if I ask what you are reading?” Lee said in a painfully broad American accent. She could already see the painted spine of the large volume, _The Moonstone_.

“A Collins Mystery.” He replied

“Is it good?”

“Quite.” He turned back to his book and Lee looked around the room, floundering at what she was possibly doing in this situation. She felt uncomfortable, constantly checking over her shoulder to see if the boys near the fire were approaching her. Being a woman traveling to different time periods without the aid of a man near her side was not always comfortable, since for so much of earth’s history women had little value. Unlike how she assumed the Doctor traveled, Lee always had to worry about whether or not her clothes or manners were correct, or else fear being too noticeable.

”I’ve been enjoying my time in this country; I can see how the landscapes can inspire such mystery as Collins tends to write..”

He nodded, turning a page and muttering, “Yes, they do. I shall be interested in what he makes of the events occurring to the north.”

She leaned forwards and whispered in an intrigued voice. “Whatever do you mean?”

He closed his book halfway, his fingers still marking his place and leaned towards her as well. “There have been some rumors that up at the MacDoyle Farm there has been some large dog terrorizing the sheep. It even injured one of the harvesters. No one had seen or caught the beast; someone from London is expected to come next week.”

“Fascinating.” Lee whispered, recognizing enough familiar aspects of the story to know that it would be helpful to her. She stood up briskly, nodding her thanks and leaving the small pub in the same flurry of fabric in which she came.

 ~~~

That evening she stood in her spare flat examining her bag of materials. The farm she had learned was not far north, only a few miles. She had already arranged to have a horse saddled for her to ride up to the estate, now all she needed was to decide what to bring with her. Lee had already changed into a sensible riding skirt and a pair of thick boots. She looked down at the arsenal in her bag. Making she had a flashlight, a multi tool, a knife and her smart phone. Regardless of any era, if she was heading out at night she wanted to be prepared with the best materials.

At half past ten she made her way back onto the streets to find a young man waiting with a horse already saddled for her. She handed him an inappropriately large amount of money and leapt onto the horse with ease, quickly riding into the night.

Within an hour she found herself coming to a halt beyond the gates of the farm. She dismounted her horse tying it to a tree before continuing on foot. Lee walked slowly, turning on the bright LED flashlight and examining the ground. It was damp from the morning rain, which told her nothing of the events previous. Still, she walked around the fence of the sheep pasture, noticing the large person sized gap which had been recently patched with pine boards. She bent down examine the fissure. The original wood had been splintered by the force of something charging at it. But as she looked at the untouched top rail she could see that the wood had been pre-cracked. She looked closely at the small break, caused by a hard blow, perhaps a hammer.

A rustling in the trees behind her caused Lee to turn about suddenly. She expected the ray from her flashlight to catch a pair of glowing eyes, but instead she saw swaying foliage. Stowing the light and exchanging it for a knife Lee made her way into the depths of the woods. The damp leaves were slick beneath her feet, and she walked slowly her eyes scanning for any more movement in the darkness.

She was close to turning back when she began to get the familiar sensation that she was being watched. Very slowly Lee turned her head attempting to look at what was behind her, but before her head could make more than a quarter turn a pair of arms reached out and placed her in a tight lock. Her attacker had expertly pinned Lee’s arms in while the other gloved hand held her head a forward position.

“What are you doing here?” A soft voice whispered in her ear. She could have taken the time to try and escape, but Lee choose to look at her attackers arms. Black billowing sleeves, long leather gloves she could feel a floor length skirt brushing up against her legs. This too was someone who was trying to blend into the night. “Again, why are you here?”

The voice sounded familiar to Lee, nothing she had ever heard in her lifetime but that someone else whose memories she shared had. “I’m just interested.” She pleaded, trying to analyze a way out of the hold

An answer came hotly into her ear. “This isn’t the place for a young lady.”

Lee scoffed, “You’re here.” Lee twisted her head sharply. A sharp stinging sensation chilled her body her attacked tried to grasp at her head but only was left with hair in her hand. But her attacker quickly recovered her grasp on Lee, her free hand now coming to rest on the right side of Lee’s upper chest.

The world slowing down as Lee tried to calm her breath as she could feel her right heart beating strongly beneath the gloved hand.

“Two hearts.” The woman spun her around. For a moment Lee was startled as she looked into the veiled face of a green woman, then the recognition hit her. Even though they had never met before Lee still knew. “The Time Lords are dead.” She spat still firmly holding onto Lee’s wrists.

“Technically I’m a biological Gallifreyan who’s never been to Gallifrey.” Lee said rapidly.

The Silurian’s eyes narrowed. “River Song?”

“No Lee Williams.”She took a deep breath. “I’m her daughter and the Doctor is my father.” The green woman’s lifted her veil and peered very closely at Lee. “It’s a long story and I can explain it later.  But right now I am here because of… well because of that.”

Lee pointed to the large set of eyes which were now glaring at them from the depths of the woods. The snarling creature stepped forward, a large dog covered in matted and patchy fur. It continued to growl as it approached the women with little hesitation. They both stared at it, surprised that it was simply a dog. Then in the distance an audible high pitched whistle sounded.

The dog lunged forward its jaws unclenched as it attacked Vastra first. Lee with the knife still in her hand dodged the attack and came at the creature from behind plunging her knife into the creature’s neck. It let out a high pitched howl and scampered off.

Lee still on her hands and knees shuffled towards Vastra, taking off her coat and wrapping it around the large wound of the woman’s abdomen. “I need to get you to a hospital.” Lee muttered as she began fiddling with the silver band around her wrist.

“Are you a qualified medical doctor?” Vastra wheezed as she applied pressure to her own wound.

“Yeah, I attended med school in the early 23rd century, FBI field training, and some supplemental knowledge up here.” She smiled breathlessly pointing to her head. “I think you’ll be alright. Hold on tight to me, be there in a bit.” As Vastra took hold of her hand as she pressed down on the silver bangle and they disappeared into the night.


	3. Chapter 2

Ever since she had walked into his office with the intention of discreetly nicking a set of surgical tools Joseph Bell had been intrigued. He watched her from across the corridor hidden by a pillar as she riffled through his belongs. The woman was tall with a curved and athletic build. Her torso disproportionately short yet not so much that it impeded on her beauty. She was dressed in a peculiar fashion, a tan riding skirt, a loosely fitting blouse a brocade vest. Her shoes were brand new and gleaming as if they had hardly been worn outside. Yet he could conclude from her dirty nails and the way her dark hair was tucked in a twist at the nape of her neck, that she had recently be engaged in some activity outdoors. She was trying very hard to both fit into her surroundings, and yet declare her individuality.

 He watched her for a moment as she took a small roll of gauze and slipped it into the pockets of her skirt. She was a skilled thief, knowing just when to turn, completely in control of her facial expressions and yet there was a desperateness in her motions. Her hands were shaking from the adrenaline, yet her level of skill was exquisite. She had already left his office and had turned past him down the hallways before he decided to follow her.

 “Excuse me miss.” She stopped in her tracks her face paling slightly as she looked at him with stony eyes. “I’m new here and I don’t think we have met.” He stood and gave her a slight bow of the head, which she returned with clenched lips. “Doctor Joseph Bell.”

“Ruth Williams.” She said shifting her legs so that the stolen goods in her pockets would be less obvious. She reached out a hand, and he kissed it ever so gently on the back before grabbing it gently and pulling her in towards him.

“No it’s not.” He replied and she looked back at him not with surprise but rather an impressive glance. All he had needed to hear was her voice, the accent a rather accomplished British imitation, her natural accent was of course American.  She grown up there, but frequently heard English or Scottish dialects, perhaps from her parents. “You’re name is not Ruth Williams.” He replied pulling her in so close that he could smell the mossy sent of her skin.

He was looking into her eyes, but at the same time was scanning the rest of her. Her clothes were all relatively new of unworn, but she had an aged gold locket. It was of course the most fascinating thing about her; the rest was all a costume, no matter how similar it was to who she truly was. But the locket was a small rectangle with flowers carved into it. The engraving had been worn away near the latch, where she frequently opened and closed it.

“Very good Doctor Bell.” She replied her voice dripping with some sort of dark pleasure.

“Who are you?” He asked her                                           

“A doctor.” She replied and he saw the confidence in her eyes

“But you’re a woman.” He breathed in surprise.

 “But I think now is where we will be calling it a day, I have a very important patient to get to and not a lot of time.” She turned from him quickly walking away rapidly. He might have been done with her, but there was something about her which caught his eye. She was a challenge.

 

Joseph waited until he heard her footsteps fade down the corridor, and then he ran back to his office, throwing on his coat and following the scent of her perfume. It lead him twisting around the hospital until he reached a door which lead into the lower levels. He walked down the stairs as silently as he could, descending into the basement of the hospital.  He could see a light off in a distant storeroom, and the figure of a woman moving about in the shadows. Joseph drew near enough to see a body lying on a table as the woman bent over it.

 

"What are you doing?" He asked. Her head turned around in surprise, and he could see that her hands were applying pressure to a wound. But as he looked closer to the mysterious woman he gained a better view of the body on the table. It was hideous, with green scaly skin. The thing had its eyes closed and was moaning a more primal call as the woman worked over the body of the impossible creature.  He doubted his sight yet he continued to move closer. "What is that thing?"

 

"Joseph don’t touch her." She stressed as he walked into the room. The body of the creature was on a long table, a smaller table held vials of liquids and the medical supplies which the dark haired woman had stolen. It was a make shift laboratory.

 

"Are you experimenting on this creature?" He scorned her and yet she looked upon him with impatience.

 

"I'm helping her." She whispered. He looked down to her hands which were covered in thin yellow bile from the creature. "She's been attacked. I can show you her wound. For just a moment and you can confirm my statements yourself."

 

He nodded, and she quickly removed her hands to reveal a large jagged hole in the green skinned creatures eyes, caused from the bite of a canine. He could make out the very non-human internal organs before her placed her hands back. "The bite is caused from some sort of canine, but the size of the wound indicates it would have to be a dog nearly the size of a horse."

 

"Yeah I know." The woman shot back at him "Someone had to go looking after a gigantic hound." she added shooting a look of mock disapproval at the creature on the table.  The creature was moaning on the table, muttering about being left to die, but the dark haired woman was shaking her head. "I'm not letting you die this easy Vastra." She replied as she one handedly began to prepare a needle. "If Doctor Bell will assist me, you won't even miss the last train to London."

 

Doctor Bell stared at her as she smiled at him, her face almost sardonic. He was lost in the moment, lost in her aloofness and the scene before him. He was staring at and impossible creature and a mysterious woman, he looked upon them and felt unsure if every ontological fact he one ever knew was certain.  She was a woman beyond reason, an epistemological crisis, introducing him to an unknown world.

 

"What do you need me to do?" He found himself asking, yet the tone of his own voice seemed foreign.

 

She smiled widely as the sweat was beginning to form on her brow. "Hand me the clamp and the tongs first. Then follow the syringes with the three different liquids, and don't touch her."  She added in reference to the apparently female creature on the table.

 

"How come you can touch her?" Joseph asked incredulously.

 

She looked at him with a raised brow. "Because I can.” She murmured like an impatient child.

 

"Oh you just like your- argh" the creature called out but she was cut off as he woman took the clamp and held open the wound.  She bent down pulling out what could only be the remnants of whatever had attacked the creature.  Thin white claws and clumps of hair fell to the floor.  Joseph watched as she cleaned out the wound, she worked quickly with the confidence of a surgeon, all the evidence before him added to the mystery.

 

"Red, green then yellow." she muttered, hardly paying attention to him as she shone a light into the wound.

 

"What."

 

"Hand me the syringes in that order, and make sure that needle is threaded so I can stitch her back up."

 

"Oh" he replied, reaching across the table and handing her he first syringe.  They continued to work together wordlessly, him providing assistance as she worked.

 

When they had finished ahead helped the creature sit up and made sure she was okay. "I fear this means I am only further in debt now."  The green scaled creature stated in the most upscale of intonation.

 

"Don't worry it will soon be repaid" the woman mused.  "Can you get back to London on your own or shall I fetch Jenny?"

 

The creature fashioned the scarf into a veil and stood up, looking to be a very well covered Victorian woman, the truth well-disguised.  "Thank you, I shall be fine."  She drifted out of the room as if nothing was wrong and left the two doctors alone in the basement room.

 

"What was that?"

 

"What do you think?" it wasn't a condescending statement but rather a question.

 

"Oh would think it's a cruel trick but I think you are an honest woman. So that had to be a creature of some corporeal existence, perhaps from Africa or another exotic land. However," He stopped, she was smiling at him.  She tended to smile, not out of happiness but rather smugness. "It’s foreign, an alien a creature of nightmares, something seemingly impossible."

 

"Oh you're good.” she replied tearing off her gloves and beginning to clean up.

 

"Am I right?”

 

"Yes.  She is what you would call an alien though she would call you the alien. Believe me Joseph there are world's you've never ever heard of out there. "

 

He looked at her with narrow eyes, educated enough to know that he should be questioningher. Yet having seen enough to have doubts of his own. "And you know of them?"

 

"I live in them." she replied.  She looked about the room, having cleaned up and done her duty she was ready to disappear again.

 

"What's your name?" He asked again.

 

She stopped cleaning up for a moment, visibly thinking. "Adele Reiner, and that is as good as you are going to get."

 

"I helped you,” Joseph said breathlessly, moving to stand in the doorway to bock her “It seems you should only return the favor."

 

"Well call me you are in dire need." She replied ducking underneath his arm and continuing to walk away from him.

 

He turned around to face her, a clever idea flashing in his head. "How knowledgeable are you about causes of death.”

 

Adele turned and said with a stony face "Very."

 

~~~

 

Lee smiled to herself yet again as they stepped onto the Edinburgh street.  She had taken a men's coat from one of the hospital racks and was pulling it tightly against her body as they turned down the lane and into an alleyway.  She did not seem fazed as Joseph led her into the underbelly of the city; she had expected it.  They continued in silence down the twisting cobblestone streets as the sun continued to rise across the horizon until they were in a more disagreeable part of the city. He led her towards a shabby house. Its roof nearly collapsing due to rot, it hung in the shadows avoided and ignored by those who passed by.

 

It had been the scene of a crime. She could tell by the way the locals passed it by. It was more than just a disheveled shack, for a day or two it would be the topic to find conversation, until the crimes committed were forget and a new family moved in. Joseph walked towards it with purpose, a man in his finely dressed clothes walking towards a crime scene at dawn. Normally it would cause a stir, but no one looked at him with any questioning. Lee followed quickly behind, trying to see everything, trying to observe the world around her.

 

"You’re American." Joseph whispered as he held open the door for her. “Your British accent is quite good but you're American. New Jersey."

 

Lee chuckled, "New York." She said with a sardonic smile. "And I would learn the difference between those two if I were you. The next woman you meet might not let such a comment slide."  She stepped into the house, not expecting much and seeing even less than she was hoping for. The house looked deferent and falling apart from initial inspection, but it was teeming with life. The few piece of broken furniture which had been let were scattered about the room making miniature rooms, which were lined with beds made of newspapers and blankets.

 

He swept into the room, his long coat not touching the floor as they passed from the front room into a smaller side room which had once been a library. The built in book cases which had once lined the walls had been stripped of their shelves and the room seemed desolate. To the people who called this place home, the skeletal remains of a library served no purpose expect to be the place of a murder. A body lay on the threadbare remains of a carpet, splattered face down.

 

“The morning paper isn’t even out.” Lee whispered as she stared at the corpse. “How do you know about this?”

 

“Captain Strider of the yard often asks me to help him.” Joseph said as they both moved to stand on opposite sides of the body, “He sent word over just before you went into my office. He’s clearly in the wrong place."  Joseph added, nodding to the dead man’s clothes. He was dressed somewhat finely, though his clothes had been mended quite a few times, and while his hair was recently cut it was infrequently washed.

 

 

"That's one theory." Lee breathed as she squatted down on her legs to examine what was before her. She felt strange her gloved hands ran over the dead body. Yet she did her best not to look squeamish as she reached into the man’s pockets. It was positively absurd, bending over her long skirts billowing behind her in the dust. Yet she would have looked even more comical if she was dressed properly for the era. She stood up quickly, smiled and prated off. "The police don’t care about the dead man, they want the killer and more importantly the papers they stole off the deceased man bellow us. But they are missing the point. This dead man does in fact tell tales. What do you make of it?" She stood up quickly giving herself a head rush while maintaining to looking at him with a captivating glare.

 

"He holds an average job, something that allows him a bit of money." Joseph murmured gently.

 

"Wrong." Lee snapped with a smile.

 

Joseph’s brown rose, "He had a five pound note on him."

 

"Chances are that was most of his last paycheck. He was carrying around that money for a bit of show. The clothes give it away." 

 

He bent down again and ran his hands over the man’s clothes. "They’re of fine quality." He looked up at her and saw he was wrong.

 

"They were of fine quality about five years ago, but the collar had been re-done to keep up with the fashion." She said joining him on the floor and pulling at the dead man’s suit collar. She tugged at the seam between were the new collar was attached to the rest of the jacket. "Expertly, I might add. The thread used to slipstitch the collar is a different color from the one of the seam. Someone in his life must be a tailor because there is no way he could pay for such alterations working as a copier for the newspapers."

 

"Copier?" Joseph looked at her as if she was making ridiculous accusations, which in a way she was. She was just using her brain to jump to conclusions in a manner the human race was just getting used to doing. 

 

Lee bit her lip, this was just going to be a quick trip to make sure timelines went according to plan, but she was enjoying this. "Ink on his hands. If he worked for the government, he wouldn’t care about being in fashion. But the newspapers…" She cocked her head. "What can you make of it all?"

 

Joseph walked about the room, leaning out of the open window, peering over the few remains of the room before joining her. "The killer left through the window, obvious from the single pair of tracks going away from the house. But he was killed sometime between 4 and 5 in the morning, but nobody saw anyone enter the house. So there had to be another entrance." He paused and began to pace the room, the story beginning to take place in his head. "And the library, it seems like a strange location.  But easily hidden behind built in bookcases are-"

 

"Passageways" Lee said standing up looking excited. "A book is usually the lever, but it would still leave a mark." She moved to the bookcases and began to run her hands up and down, feeling for loose knots in the wood or hollow panels.  Joseph did the same and within moments they had found a way into the room.  "Matches" He pulled a box out of his pocket and tossed it into her hands. "Back in a moment." She whispered running out of the room. She came back moment later with two lanterns each filled with candles. She lit them and they stood at the mouth of the secret passageway.

 

"Well then." Joseph said as he stepped into the passageway and began to walk cautiously down the darkened pathway. Lee followed him, watching as he turned his lantern slowly back and forth lighting the way. He was a kinder man than his literary twin, less brilliant too. But it didn’t seem to matter; he would live out his life in an unassuming manner and never fully know the impact of the literary behemoth he helped inspire.

 

They walked for nearly twenty minutes in silence before Joseph finally called out, "There is a dead end up ahead."  He stopped to turn a look at her, considering for a moment that he issue some sort of warning. But Lee barreled past him and towards the end of the tunnel to a small wood door. She pressed her ear against it before slowly turning the handle. She smiled at him in an un-lady like fashion before she tucked her head around the other side of the door.

 

She quickly stuck her head back around and slowly shut the door behind her.  Joseph looked at her with great expectation "Well" He hissed as she began to walk back to where they had come from.

 

"Basement of a pub." She replied flatly as she quickened her pace.

 

"Which one, why didn’t we go up?"   Lee sighed, she wondered if he was always this way or if her own intelligence was turning him into more of a Watson.

 

She turned around to look at him sharply. "We didn’t go up because it would look strange to suddenly appear from the basement. Also how many people would have access to a pub basement between the hours of four and five thirty. No, we need to walk through the front door. As for the name, _The Scarlet Caper_ , saw it on an old sign lying on the floor." 

 

They rushed back to the abandoned house, running into the second police brigade as they left. Joseph quickly filled them in on the new information and they filtered back into the streets. It was getting light and while it would be best to judge the inhabitants of the pub until later in the day, its lodgers would just be awakening. 

 

They walked down the dismal streets crawling with low life, their coats billowing out behind them like shields. Joseph turned and smiled at Lee in an unusual sign of interest, but then everything about her was turning him into a strange man. "Would you care to join me in my investigation Adele?" He said, noting the lightening hour.

 

"Only if you insist Doctor Bell." Lee murmured out of the corner of her mouth, locking her arm into his as they rounded a corner and disappeared into the city seamlessly. 


	4. Chapter 3

 

As the front of _The Scarlet Caper_ came into view they both glanced around at the more suitable part of town where the recently departed Mr. Bruce Wellington may have possibly visited in his waking moments. Joseph held open the door as Lee walked into the pub at a quarter to eight and looked about the seemingly empty establishment.

 

 

"Can I 'elp ya?" Asked a red faced and frazzled woman from behind the bar, Joseph walked over to her and produced a small card signifying he was from the police. The keeper looked un-phased.

 

 

"Do you know anyone by the name of Bruce Wellington? Joseph asked.  Lee remained silent sticking to the shadows as she scanned the room.

 

 

"Works for the Chronicle. He came in last week to speak with one of the lodgers." She shifted behind the counter uncomfortably. "What's this about?" She asked more suspiciously.

 

 

"We are going to need to speak with that person."

 

 

The keeper sighed, clearly not feeling the task was something she wanted to be taking part in. But she silently made her way out from behind the bar and led them up a staircase.  "Ask if this leads down into the basement." Lee whispered into Joseph’s ear.

 

 

"It does." The keeper replied clearly hearing Lee's comment. They stopped in front of a wooden door, while the keeper nocked heartily.  "Miss. Galham, Miss. Galham."  She turned to face them both shaking her head. "She must not be in."

 

 

"Surely you have a key." Joseph snapped.  The red faced woman nodded and fumbled before opening the door. 

 

 

The small room was quite lavishly decorated as if someone had spent a great deal of time in such a room. Trunks lay open with clothes all about the room. Fresh flowers in a vase, the desk covered in hair combs and cosmetics. Lee scanned the room looking for clues. She walked over to the desk, un-opening a small bottle of hair tonic and sniffing it.

 

 

"Joseph." She said handing it out to him.

 

 

He took it and smelled as well "Almonds."  Lee raised her eye brows as she placed the bottle back down. "Why did Mr. Wellington come and speak with Miss. Galham last week?"

 

 

The woman looked at him as if he was rather dumb. "Well it was strange. She kept ‘er head down, face was right nasty, caught a glimpse of it once. Rumor had it she was quite famous back in the day. He said he was writing an article that would make them both money."

 

 

"When was the last time you saw her leave the pub?" Lee asked

 

 

 “Nasty in what way?” Joseph asked his thoughts now doubt lingering on the green woman he had seen hours before.

 

 

The innkeeper rolled her eyes. “I last saw ‘er three days ago. Face is covered with scars. Don’t know ‘ow.”

 

  

"Yes, thank you." Joseph said slowly as he turned about the room "Would you mind leaving us for a bit." She woman nodded and back out of the room slowly. They both waited until they head her retreat down the stairs before they began examining the room.

 

 

They found letters all about the place written in broken English. Scalding letters to Mr. Wellington asking him not to reveal her greatest secret. After a few minutes they each had half the tale in their heads. "Well" Lee whispered.

 

 

"Mr. Wellington interviewed Miss Galham one week ago. Since then she changed her mind and sent these vicious letters to him. Do you know who she is yet?"  Lee shook her head and he sighed “Natalia Verdemicki, bohemian actress. She was injured in a theater fire four years ago and disappeared. Lost all contacts, obviously she took up a veil and hid in Scotland. He must have contacted her, figured out who she was. An article like that could send him straight to London. But she got scarred and wanted to recount her words, he refused."

 

 

"So." Lee said, walking over to the murderous weapon. "She wrote him letters in an ink laced with poison, and ink which seeped into his hands slowly killing him. But it must not have been enough; she lured him to that house. Located in a place she both had easy access to and blended in. She killed him in the library and then escaped through the window."

 

 

"Yes but where is she now.” Joseph looking about as if she was hiding in the wardrobe.

 

 

Lee paused in thought. "If she entered the house through the main door… There was cobblestone; she would have left no footprint. And the ones leaving from the window the house were quickly covered by people passing by. So what if she looped back around. Someone that disfigured would be very good at not being seen.” She grabbed his hand and began to pull him out of the room smiling. “She left the same way she came.” She added in a whisper.

 

 

 “But we both went through the passageway.” Joseph muttered as they stepped out into the hallway. “We saw no one else.”

 

 

Halfway down the stair case, Lee turned to look at him with wide eyes and said in a barely audible voice. “Natalia Verdemicki is still in the basement.” His eyes widened as he realized that she was most likely right. She tilted her head indicating that he should follow her lead. She reached into the shaft of her boot handing him a small knife as they stood in front of the door to the basement. Their eyes locking together she mouthed very slowly “One…two…three”

 

 

Lee trust open the door entering into the dark basement, immediately finding herself being attacked by an dark outline of a woman. Lee punched her squarely in the face, sending her falling to the floor. She moved quickly stepping down on her back while Joseph fumbled around in the dim light.

 

 

“Adele,” He called out clearly unable to see her. “Adele where are you?”

 

 

“You can drop the knife I got her. Now give me a rope or a belt so I can tie her hands, and go and fetch the police.” She groaned in the darkness, stretching one of her hands out to grab the belt that he had pulled off of his own body. As she heard him leave the room, she bend down to bound Natalia Verdemicki hands and then pull the woman up, dragging her into the bar. They struggled only momentarily as Lee ripped off the woman’s veil to look upon her scared face. “I’ve certainly seen worse.” Lee muttered as Joseph came back running into the bar with a few policeman. 

 

 

Lee transferred her control of Natalia over to the officers and Joseph called out over the commotion. “I’m heading down to the station to speak with the sergeant. Will you be joining me?”

 

 

Lee slinked past the men until she was at his side. She placed her had in his and whispered into his ear. “How about you come out to MacDoyle farm with me and help me investigate the case of the monstrous hound.” His eyes lit up at her words.

 

 

Silently he guided her out of the pub and back into the street. They spotted an unattended carriage half way down the street and both ran towards it, Lee grabbing the reins of the horse as they looked behind their shoulders breathing heavily from adrenaline. In the blink of an eye they were already racing out of the city and towards the next mystery.

 

~~~

 

As they disembarked not far from the very spot in which Lee had investigated the previous night, Joseph pulled out a small magnifying glass from his pockets and began to examine the tracks still untouched from the night before which Lee herself had left.

 

 

“You came by a single horse?” He asked as she moved towards the fence which she had been investigating until being disrupted.

 

 

“Yes.” She whispered in reply. “This fence was broken intentionally, by a human as if someone was exaggerating an existence of such a monster.” She added looking at the splinters of wood lying on the ground.

 

 

He began to walk into the woods, following her tracks “And yet you were confronted by an animal last night. Perhaps the idea of a monster was not enough.” They stopped at the very clearing in which the attack had begun.  The grass bellow had been trampled in the struggle, making it difficult to clearly outline particular footprints. ”Which way did your acquaintance come from?”

 

 

“The west.” Lee said peering at the shoe shaped tracks which Vastra had left.

 

 

“Then the beast came and went from this direction.” Joseph replied, and she rushed over to his side to see the set of animal tracks. “Not as large as the tale indicates.” He added as they both began to follow the tracks out of the woods and back to the farm. 

 

 

They soon found themselves standing in front of a stable where the tracks ended. With no fear Lee swung open the stable door and began to enter into the barn. The horses neighed softly as they both walked through keeping their eyes out for anything unusual while still trying to follow the tracks. Lee peered into the very last seemingly empty stall.

 

 

“That’s a shame, I was hoping for something more exciting.” She intoned as Joseph peered in to see the large haggard dog sitting on a pile of straw licking away at the blood matted on its skin.

 

 

“It’s monstrous.” He whispered

 

 

“It’s just an Irish Wolfhound, but I suppose you don’t see many of them in Scotland.” Lee muttered as she turned about, making sure to scatter the straw on the barn floor to hide her tracks. “Though I imagine if you wanted to you could make the story much more sensational. Come on, once again we need to fetch the authorities.” She said with a smile as he followed her back out.

 

 

As they snuck back through the forest Lee was quite aware of how much Joseph was staring at her. She was pleased with herself, knowing she had done her part in changing history once again. Yet as he helped her into the carriage she caught his eyes and saw more than just fascination.

 

 

“Adele.” He breathed as he joined her on the bench seat. “Do you have plans for this evening?”

 

 

Truthfully she was ready to leave, yet she pursed her lips into a smile. “No.”

 

 

He looked pleased as they set off into the city. “Would you like to join me at the symphony tonight?”

 

 

“Why not.” Lee replied wondering what she was possibly getting herself into this time.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. I was sick last weekend, and then had parent teacher conferences all this week.


	5. Chapter 4

Her feet fell upon the cold wooden floor with a soft thud. She sat on the edge of the bed her bare back exposed to him as she stretched her arms high up over her head the muscles in her back contorting tightly. She bent down to the floor and picked up one of her shirt, slipping it over her head as Lee stood up.  Her slender hand took a shell comb and twisted her hair back as she made her way barefooted across the bedroom floor.

 

 

He had rolled over on the bed, the sheets wrapped all around him in a complicated mess. He watched as she left the room and came back shortly with half a loaf of bread and a bottle of wine.

 

 

"You're smiling." Lee whispered in her deep voice as she sat next to him and handed him a chunk of bread. He looked at rather than ate it. "You hardly ever smile."

 

 

"How could you possibly know that?" He whispered back as he looked up at her pale face. She wasn't perfect. Her features were somewhat soft. Her nose was off center with a large bump, part of that was genetics, part was the fact that her nose had been broken before. Her eyes were small, her mouth impossibly pale and yet she seemed to radiate beauty simply by willing it. "You have only known me for two days Ms. Reiner."

 

 

"You're an easy one to figure out, Joseph." She whispered softly as she took a swig of wine from the bottle. "You don't have anything to hide."

 

 

He turned over on his stomach and reached out to take hold of a single strand of hair which had fallen loose. "And yet every time I look at you I see something different, something new. You’re impossible to figure out Adele."

 

 

"Woman should be hard to deduce doctor Bell, it only seems fair." She replied, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

 

 

 He looked her over once more, now ever in her defrocked state she still seemed to be shrouded in mystery to him.  He ran through the list in his mind, all the things he knew about Adele Reiner. Her hair was dyed, she had an American accent but was raised by English parents, she preferred walking barefoot, the locket around her neck had been given to her by her grandfather, she was a classically trained opera singer, she was also a medical doctor and yet she was very, very foreign.

 

 

"Your staring at me again Joseph." She replied in a murmur as he wrapped her hair around his finger. He looked up at her with great curiosity and frustration. She smiled down at him, as if she knew something. She always had that look on her face, and in fact Adele Reiner, knew very much about the legend Joseph Bell was one day going to become. Yet at the moment he was lost in her courage and strength. She was like no other woman he had ever met.

 

 

He let his fingers drift from her hair to the locket which was around her neck, it was old and simple yet she wore it proudly, it was in fact a very real part of her, something about Adele Reiner that wasn't a lie.

 

 

"Why did your grandfather call you Lily?" Her face fell as if suddenly very afraid that he had figured out something about her which was incredibly important.

 

 

"How could you possibly know that?" Lee asked him, fear flashing in her dark eyes.

 

 

"The locket, it’s old. You’re not the type of woman to have a lover who would give you an heirloom. Not one that you would keep anyways. So it has to come from some family member. You’re too free spirited and rebellious to keep something so close which your mother gave it to you. In fact you are far too, _adventurous_ to have been raised by your real mother, so your grandparents raised you. The inscription on the back says to Lily, it’s not your grandmother’s name, so it is something your grandfather gave to you and called you, why?"

 

 

She rested her head on the backboard and took a great sight, her chest falling as she turned to an expression of reverence. "It was a character in a story he told me as a child. It was a pet name."

 

 

"But why”" Joseph asked her again, looking somewhat confused.

 

 

"Because she had red hair" She replied in a fond whisper.

 

 

"That hardly seems to be a good reason to…" But he allowed his words to trail off as he caught the dark expression on her face. He would have reached out a hand to comfort her, but he was not very good a comforting people. "Who are you Adele?"

 

 

She smiled bitterly and looked down at him with the same type of condescending expression which was reserved for children. "Whatever I tell you will be a lie." She replied with a warning smile.

 

 

"I know that this is all a disguise Adele, but I also know that even the best disguises are veiled images of who we truly are. For all my brilliance I cannot seem to figure you out, and I would appreciate a little help, because I have some very fantastical theories."

 

 

She slowly shifted back down to a lying position, and they lay on the bed, staring into each other’s eyes for a very long time. Lee took his hand and ran her fingers over it, her thumb dancing over his knuckles, pressing deeply into his palm. She bit her lip, trying to conceal a small smile as she began to speak once more.

 

 

"If you really have considered every option of who I could possibly be, and ruled them out with that clever brain of yours, the only thing left remaining is the truth."

 

 

"What if the truth is impossible?" He whispered

 

 

"The rules of logic dictate that it must be true" She replied a coy smile.

 

 

"That is quite a system of reasoning Ms. Reiner."

 

 

"I do feel like it could be more eloquently put."  She looked at him very seriously for a moment, and then burst out into laughter. Reaching across the bed for the bottle of wine and taking a deep drink. "But seriously, who do _you_ think I am?"

 

 

Joseph took a moment to look at her, to try and read something else about her, but everything he saw seemed to be wrong, impossible and yet wholly possible.

 

 

"I saw a painting when I was a university, it was done in Florence in 1675, it looked like you, same face, same nose, and same freckles."

 

 

Lee laughed playfully "Distant relative."

 

 

"I saw a photograph of you in a newspaper, fifteen years ago, taken during the civil war."

 

 

Her eyes widened, not yet having that adventure "Of me as an infant?"

 

 

He continued to probe, "There is a record of an opera singer, with your similar appearance in Vienna in 1784."

 

 

Lee smiled at the memory that had been a fun adventure. "Coincidence." She replied airily.

 

 

"Adele." He whispered in a hushed tone, taking her face in his hands, holding onto her as if she was not real.

 

 

"What are you concluding Joseph."

 

 

"That you are some immortal embodiment of artistic muse. The woman of inspiration."

 

 

She smiled at him, biting her thumb "You should remember that one."

 

 

"Why are you here then, how could you possibly inspire me?"

 

 

She reached around her neck, and unclasped the locket from her neck and placed it in his hands. "I know you won't forget me Joseph." She whispered as she gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "Adele Reiner, the woman who mystified you."

 

 

"Aren't you going to need…?” But his words were already trailing off as sleep overtook him, she had drugged him, a compound on her lips, of course she had.

 

 

"Don't worry, I'll come back for it, when you are old and grey and I won't have aged one bit." She whispered into his ear, as she backed away, slipping out of the bedroom and away from him.

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

Monday had gone by in a bit of a blur. His eyes seemed unable to concentrate while he worked in the hospital his mind wandered to the events of the past two days. That was as long as he been in her presence, yet it seemed to him that four minutes would have been all he needed in order to figure out anything and nothing about Adele Reiner. That evening he had wandered down to the local pub for dinner where he had stumbled into a close group of friends.

 

 

"Joseph." One of them called out across the crowd, he turned to look at his friend "You look like you have had quite a time recently, anything wrong."

 

 

"Like nothing you could ever believe Arthur." Joseph replied breaking into a smile as he turned to his friend "I have seemed to run across the most interesting of all women, like something out of one of your stories."

 

 

"Well women have never been much of your specialty Joseph."

 

 

He gave a small laugh, as they all settled down at a table "This one, I fear is the first woman who I have not been able to see all the way through. Who I have not found to be a blubbering idiot, or scything adulterer, but rather the most intriguing intellectual genius."

 

 

"You seem rather stumped, will you see her again." The writer looked at his friend, wishing that he too could meet the impossible woman.

 

 

Joseph sighed, setting down in his seat. "I fear not."

 

 

"But you must tell me all about her then, what was her name." His interest fully peeked in the prospect of a woman could stump his wisest acquaintance.

 

 

"Adele Reiner. And I will tell you everything about her."

 


End file.
